Quiet Persuasion: It's Buttery, Not Yellow or Gold

Tired of his opinions being drowned out by louder (often dumber) voices – radio hosts and ESPN analysts – Jamie decided to write them down. Quiet Persuasion, which runs every week, is the result.

Three days. Finally after three days without baseball the games began again Saturday. I don’t know about you but the world of professional sports was rather boring last week. The extra inning All-Star game seemed like it ended months ago. The Tiger-less British Open didn’t start until Thursday. And Ashley Harkleroad’s glamour shots weren’t released until Friday. There was virtually nothing to blog about. It was such a bad week that the most popular sports blog covered a celebrity charity golf tournament. I mean really, how much do sports fans really care about Jessica Simpson and Tony Romo?

Not to mention I was working on a feature in rural south Alabama all week and the closest I came to a sporting event was seeing several 300-pound offensive linemen slide down a giant wet soapy tarp (slip and slide). Here are pictures from Troy.

On Thursday afternoon, when I finally came up for air, I learned that the Montgomery Biscuits -- the team colors are buttery, not yellow or gold -- the Double-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, were playing that night. Not only was it Thirsty Thursday ($2 Budweiser drafts!) but the Rays’ 2007 No. 1 draft pick David Price was pitching and his opposition was none other than former Cy Young award runner up Esteban Loaiza. I had nothing planned so I took advantage of the opportunity to see a great pitching matchup in a new ballpark and possibly relax and have a few cheap beers.

Riverview Stadium, home of the Biscuits, is situated in the heart of downtown Montgomery along the Alabama River and a set of train tracks. Part of the building used to be a train depot. The other section down the third baseline looks like any other minor league ballpark with black-iron gates and beige brick.

I parked along side the same street as the ballpark for free and walked to the entrance. Tickets were cheap and though it was a busy day, the lines weren’t long. It was $11 for Super Box seats, $9 Box seats and $7 Lawn seating. Depending upon whether you are with friends or family, there are a couple options. Personally, I would buy inexpensive seats and head to the Club Car Bar along the third base line.

Here you’ll find other groups taking advantage of the only full bar in the ballpark. There is plenty of room to socialize and watch the ball game. The Club Car Bar also offers three types of cheeseburgers: mushroom and swiss, black and blue and bacon and cheddar. I tried the mushroom and swiss and it was by far the best burger I’ve had at a ballpark, minor or major league.

The only downside of the Club Car Bar was your view of the field, partially obstructed by a wall and a constant stream of fans. Other than that it was the ideal place to take advantage of Thirsty Thursday with a couple buddies. Also, the Club Car Bar was one of the few spots in the park that allowed credit cards.
   
After finishing my delicious burger and putting back a few beers I went in search of a better seat. I came to check out the ballpark but I also wanted to see why Price was worth a $5.6 million signing bonus, one of the largest in MLB history. The Rays future ace is 8-0 with an ERA under two and nearly 60 strikeouts in his short minor league career.

Without much trouble I found a spot behind the dugout with an excellent view of the mound. I was amazed by quickness of Price’s delivery. Once he got into a rhythm he struck out batter after batter. In that way, he reminded me of a young Pedro Martinez, who Price beat earlier in the season.

Of course, I found a way to jinx the 22-year-old left-hander. I was telling a friend about how Price hasn’t given up a home run in 60 innings and then it happened.  The Birmingham Barons Stefan Gartrell hit a line drive over the right field wall. Two batters later Brandon Allen knocked another one in the same spot. Then in the 4th inning Allen did it again. Price just continued throwing strikes seemingly unfazed by the three home runs.

I laughed and shook my head. I was just thrilled to be back watching baseball again.